The Indiana Pacers and Isaiah Jackson agreed to a three-year contract extension on Friday. Jackson gets $21M per year and will be with the team until 2028.

The deal will have no options and is fully guaranteed. Isaiah Jackson is coming off an Achilles tear, which he suffered in November against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pacers had three Achilles tendon tears on their roster last season.

Jackson was drafted in 2021 with the 22nd overall pick. Remember, the Pacers did some draft day magic by trading Aaron Holiday to move up and get him after Chris Duarte.

Before his injury occurred, Jackson was the backup to Myles Turner. He is an athletic, high-flying, rim-running big man who is still just 23 years old. In his last full season with the team, he averaged 6.5 points per game and 4 rebounds in 13 minutes of play (2024-25). He has yet to play more than 65 games in an NBA season, but he appears to have grown in size since rehabbing his Achilles.

With Myles Turner out of the picture, the Pacers’ center spot is up for grabs. If anyone can go up and take it, it’s Jackson. (What a terrible one-liner by me.) I like the signing by Indiana, and this helps them keep depth in-house with a guy they liked and developed.

With Jackson having a full season off and a year of rehabbing behind him, there’s a lot to be excited about. He’s put on the size, but the questions of how his game can be impacted by the injury are there. Still, Jackson brings much needed depth and a story fans can cheer on next season.

The Pacers have James Wiseman and Jay Huff on the roster, alongside Tony Bradley, to fill out the center position. With Haliburton out and Myles Turner gone, Jackson gets the chance to prove himself in the NBA with meaningful minutes in 2025-26.

What was supposed to be a night of celebration turned into one of chaos. With one dribble of the basketball, this franchise’s future was irreversibly altered.

A sold-out crowd lined up outside of Gainbridge Fieldhouse to cheer on the Pacers in the last game of their historic playoff run, which included four miraculous comebacks and game winners.

Questions loomed around the status of the Pacers’ 25-year-old star player, Tyrese Haliburton. In game 5, Haliburton suffered a calf strain, which led to a disappointing 4-point (0-6 FG) performance from the All-Star guard. However, Haliburton's bounce-back performance in game 6 (14 pts, 5-12 FG, +25) led fans to believe that he would be ready for the deciding game 7 in Oklahoma City.

And ready he was. Haliburton came out firing on all cylinders, making his first three shots from beyond the arc, silencing the crowd in Oklahoma, and firing up the watch party in Indianapolis. Excitement and hope began to fill the inside of Gainbridge Fieldhouse. It was evident that the Pacers came ready to play and win their first NBA championship in franchise history.

With around 5 minutes left in the first quarter, those feelings of excitement and hope were shattered as fast as they came. Haliburton took one dribble towards the basket against the league's MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and fell straight to the ground, clutching his calf and pounding the floor in frustration. Anyone who followed Kevin Durant’s playoff run in 2019 knew exactly what had happened: Haliburton had torn his Achilles.

Not only did this injury lead to the Pacers losing their chance at basketball immortality, but it also damaged the upward trajectory of one of the most exciting teams in basketball. Shortly after their game 7 loss, the Pacers' longest tenured player, Myles Turner, signed a 4-year, 108.9 million deal with the Milwaukee Bucks, a heated division rival. A decision that left fans and the Pacers front office stunned, as admitted by head coach Rick Carlisle and team president Kevin Pritchard in recent interviews. Given these events, it has left fans and basketball analysts alike to wonder:

Where do the Indiana Pacers go from here?

Option 1: “Tank” for a good draft pick and focus the season on the development of the young players on the roster.

This is the most unlikely of the options I will list, but it could be considered. The Pacers recently acquired their 2026 first-round pick back from the New Orleans Pelicans, which could indicate the front office’s desire to place their focus on the 2026-2027 season. The Pacers are familiar with being a play-in team. I think they have the players to remain a competitive team in the open East, but prepping for 2027 could be beneficial.

However, with the way the league handles the draft lottery odds and the damage that “tanking” can do to a franchise’s executives, coaches, and players' careers, I doubt this is the route the Pacers decide to go.

Option 2: Cash in their chips for another all-star level player in the hopes of making another deep playoff run in 2026

Another unlikely, but possible path forward for the Indiana Pacers. Many have wondered if the Pacers can win a championship with the current roster lacking another all-star caliber player to complement Haliburton and 31-year-old Pascal Siakam.

With recent reports of players like Karl Anthony-Towns and Giannis Antetokounmpo indicating uncertainty about their future on their respective teams, it could be an avenue that the Pacers explore. Although it is unlikely that either of these players will be traded, and even more unlikely that the Pacers would sell their highly coveted assets.

Option 3: “Run it back” and alter the play-style to fit the Haliburton-less roster

Lastly, the most realistic option forward for the Pacers. The Pacers have done an excellent job of scouting and acquiring talent since the move in 2022 for their franchise star. This is a deep roster that still has the talent to compete in the current state of the Eastern Conference.

Adjustments will need to be made, though. Haliburton’s ability to push the ball up the court with a lightning-quick pace is what allowed the Pacers to play their assertive and unique brand of up-tempo basketball. This play style can not be emulated with anyone else on the Pacers roster, or any other player on the planet, consistently. It could be beneficial to explore the possibility of a more slowed-down, half-court focused offense, which could better suit the natural play styles of players like Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, and Benedict Mathurin.

Rick Carlisle's strength as a coach, and what I believe has led to his success and longevity as an NBA head coach, is his ability to adapt his philosophy to the roster around him. Adaptability, amongst all parties, will be paramount moving forward as the Pacers navigate the 2025-2026 season without their All-NBA guard.

Despite the unfortunate events of the last month, you better bet that this Pacers team will still be competitive in a wide-open Eastern Conference. Rick Carlisle, Kevin Pritchard, and Chad Buchanan have built a great basketball roster around Haliburton. Those three have done more than enough to earn the trust of the fanbase while they decide what to do moving forward.

There will be inevitable growing pains while the Pacers adjust to life without Haliburton, but I believe the Pacers will come out stronger because of it. I look forward to watching this team next year.

Watching how players like Andrew Nembhard, Jarace Walker, and Benedict Mathurin will develop with their increased responsibilities is a plus. Mathurin is in a contract year, and Walker has a chance to show rotational versatility and gain trust from Carlisle. It will look different, but Indiana has many guys who are fighting for something this season.

The Indiana Pacers won their second game of the season after a tough win against the Boston Celtics. This game should not have been close. With about eight minutes to go in the fourth quarter, the Indiana Pacers had a 20-point lead. The game went into overtime.

Nonetheless, Indiana wins 135-132 and improves to 2-3 on the season.

Box score highlights:

• Bennedict Mathurin vs Boston: 30 PTS | 11 REB | 4 AST

• Pascal Siakam with 29 PTS | 11 REB | 5 AST

The High:

Pascal Siakam was the Pacers’ best player tonight from start to finish. While Indiana did play overtime basketball, Siakam bailed them out. He hit the game-sealing three that led to the Pacers’ win over Boston.

Siakam was awesome from behind the arc tonight, making 6 of his 8 attempts. He was 11/20 from the field overall and his 11 rebounds were paramount. Siakam is a superstar, and he showed up big when Indiana needed it most. Even if they shouldn’t have needed it…

Bennedict Mathurin playing the starting minutes in the second half in place of Andrew Nembhard. He was spectacular offensively and was everywhere on the court. He led the team in scoring.

Tyrese Haliburton has found some rhythm and had one of his better games of the season. He scored 17 points and added 12 assists. He was 7/19 from the field tonight and made just 2 of his 10 three-point attempts.

The Low:

Indiana is continuing its trend of not being able to finish games. Last week, they lost to both the Magic and 76ers by four points. These were winnable games for the team and they just fell apart to close it.

Part of the problem to me is playing not to lose instead of playing to win. Indiana was up by 20+ points in the fourth quarter. Then, silly turnovers and a rushed tempo led to Boston being Boston. You watched the game thinking, “a 15-point lead may not be enough”. Those concerns proved correct as the game went into OT

The Pacers were able to win, but there are certainly things that need to be cleaned up moving forward. Overall they looked like a much better team and played a much better style of basketball. They look more comfortable and are gelling together. Now they just need consistency. We are now five games into the season.

The in-between:

Andrew Nembhard only played five minutes tonight. He started the game and then we stopped seeing him.

Pacers reporter Tony East shared this quote from Rick Carlisle's postgame on Nembhard’s minutes.

Carlisle: Andrew Nembhard's knee is acting up. Some tendonitis. Carlisle found out like 40 seconds before the game. Nembhard told Carlisle he wanted to play, but that's why just 5 minutes tonight.

Nemhard has struggled some this season, but that’s not why he was not playing tonight. Injury prevention from the staff. When healthy he’s one of the team’s better defenders.

Myles Turner was not available tonight due to an ankle sprain. With that, Isaiah Jackson got the start. Jackson scored 10 points and 5 rebounds before he fouled out. It would have been interesting to see what help James Wiseman might have contributed.

Full box score from tonight’s game:

On Friday, the Pacers will take on the 2-2 New Orleans Pelicans. That game will take place at 8:00 PM EST.

The Indiana Pacers’ season began on Wednesday night on the road against the Pistons. A place head coach Rick Carlisle knows all too well, as he coached Detroit for two seasons in the early 2000s.

Indiana got off to a slow start in this contest, and this Detroit team made them pay for it early. Their new summer acquisitions of Tim Hardaway and Malik Beasley were some of that struggle, but I chalk it up to first-game jitters.

The final score in Detroit was 115-109 in favor of the Pacers. Indiana is 1-0.

• Myles Turner: 20 PTS | 9 REB | 4 AST

• Pascal Siakam: 19 PTS | 8 REB | 9 AST

• Ben Mathurin: 19 PTS | 6 REB | 1 AST

The High:

There were many positive takeaways in the Pacers’ first game of the season. I will highlight a few key players in a moment. One of the more exciting was, that Bennedict Mathurin showed up and played well after returning from season-ending surgery last season.

Mathurin came off the bench tonight but was in the rotation for the game's final minutes. That spot has been Aaron Nesmiths, but Mathurin made his opportunity count. He scored 14 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter. Talk about closing the game. Mathurin was a bright spot tonight. What could have been in last season’s playoff run…

Another standout was Myles Turner, particularly his third-quarter performance, where he scored 16 of his 20 points. Turner, now in his 10th season with the Pacers, also had 4 blocks and made 3 three-pointers in tonight’s win.

Finally, how could you leave out T.J. McConnell? He was the spark this team needed when, at one point, they trailed by 10+ points. He went on a mini-run and was a consistent piece in an offense trying to find its rhythm.

Overall this team found a groove in the second half and made plays when it mattered. One thing that was fun to see — the team closed a game and didn’t lose by 1 point. Something that plagued them last season.

The Low:

Rebounding was not ideal in the first half, but the Pacers were playing shorthanded in the center position. To their credit, they bounced back and ended up out-rebounding the Pistons by one as the game ended.

Tyrese Haliburton struggled from the field, going 6/18 in 34 minutes. Nine of those attempts were threes, but he only made one (which ended up being the dagger to close the game). Even so, Haliburton was still effective, and there’s no doubt he’ll find his rhythm.

One thing that stood out: Tyrese had four assists tonight which is abnormal. Usually, when it’s an off-shooting night, which is rare, the assist numbers are there. Again, this is nitpicking. Tyrese still scored 15 points and the team won the game.

The in Between:

James Wiseman was able to play just four minutes of this game before leaving with an injury. This was a non-contact injury and looked like a calf/lower leg issue. He walked off the court on his own power and then was helped to the locker room.

Wiseman played well in his brief stint off the bench, scoring 6 points and grabbing a rebound. He looked comfortable on offense, even taking shots outside the paint. His timing on defense was a bit off, but he showed promise and could have had a solid game off the bench.

Hopefully, this is nothing serious for Wiseman and he can get back into the rotation for Indiana. Isaiah Jackson was out with a groin injury.

Full box score from tonight’s game:

*A side note, this site is back in action. With a much busier schedule towards the end of last season, writing became much tougher. Most of my thoughts are more quickly shared on Twitter, or “X” @zapearsonNBA. Thank you to everyone for the support, and I am happy to say we are back to normal programming.*

The Indiana Pacers are no stranger to 2020 NBA Draft selections. With Obi Toppin re-signing, he joins Tyrese Haliburton and Aaron Nesmith as 2020 draftees on the Pacers’ roster.

Obi Toppin was the 8th pick in that draft by the New York Knicks, and after Indiana made the trade for him last season, he decided to stay with his new team. Toppin was extended a qualifying offer by Indiana which made him a restricted free agent this offseason.

The Money:

His new deal is for four years and is worth $60M. This is great money for Toppin and is good value for the Pacers. His new deal will go through the 2027-28 NBA season. According to Spotrac, “Toppin will earn a base salary of $13,392,857 while carrying a cap hit of $13,392,857 in 2024-25.”

Toppin averaged 10.3 points per game, and nearly 4 rebounds during his first year with the Pacers.

My Thoughts:

One of Toppin's most surprising assets has been his three-point shooting, hitting an impressive 40.3% on 3.1 attempts per game. That is lights out.

Early in the season, Toppin was deemed a starter for the team before cementing a role on the bench. It was not due to poor play, but his fit was clearer in that position. When Indiana traded for Siakam, Toppin thrived off the bench and helped form a playoff rotation that went to the Easter Conference Finals.

While Toppin excels in Indiana's system with his athleticism and shooting ability, his ball-handling remains a limitation. His athletic style blends perfectly with Indiana’s pace of play, and he is capable of making crucial shots when needed.

Indiana will have Siakam and Toppin at the four, which raises questions about Jarace Walker's role. Does he play the 3? How will they develop him? I’m sure the team has a plan, and maybe (not saying he’s moved) there are other moves made that clear it up before the offseason is over. Walker should be able to play the three in my opinion, and he’s young enough to be moldable.

He's proven himself and deserves this contract. As a fan, I'm thrilled to see my hometown guy representing the Indiana Pacers.

All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis is slated to start on Friday, Feb. 16th. Myles Turner is embracing the ambassador role and sat down to talk about the busy weekend ahead for Indiana.

With the events set to be in Indiana for the first time in decades, the Pacers have a great opportunity to showcase its city. There is no better ambassador for Indiana than someone who has played for the basketball state his entire NBA career — Myles Turner.

Myles Turner was drafted by the Indiana Pacers in 2015, and nine years later, he remains a crucial piece to the roster. Throughout his Pacers tenure, Myles has been active in the Indianapolis community through philanthropic efforts and has hosted basketball camps in his home state of Texas and Indiana.

His latest partnership with Starry, the official drink of the NBA, has allowed Indianapolis to land another cool opportunity for All-Star Weekend—a three-point event for charity. This will occur on Friday, Feb. 16th at 4:00-5:00 PM EST.

Myles Turner is encouraging all fans to show up and show out at the Indiana Convention Center on Friday night. He said, “The event is in Indiana, so I know you all can shoot”!

Myles praised Indianapolis and is excited to see what the weekend brings.

“The fact that All-Star is coming to Indy… it is dope that we finally get to immerse ourselves in it and Indy is such a great host city. Fans all around the world get to experience Indianapolis, so I am just excited to be a city ambassador and be here as long as I have to be able to represent all the things about it”

Myles Turner talks about the preparation for the NBA Skills Challenge, the Pacers’ playoff push, and how fans can get signed gear

I had the chance to speak with Myles Turner about this event, and much more. During our conversation, we spoke about the NBA trade deadline, new players, and how Myles prepares for the Skills Challenge.

How exciting is it for you to represent the Pacers at All-Star weekend during the Skills Challenge with both Bennedict Mathurin and Tyrese Haliburton?

“The Skills Challenge is my first real All-Star weekend event, outside of the Rising Stars challenge my first couple of years. I think we are all excited, and Tyrese is going to represent the city well with the three-point contest and the All-Star game. Benn is in the Rising Stars game too, so I think the team and the city are well represented”.

A natural follow-up for me (an unathletic, non-NBA player) was to ask if this trio practiced for the Skills Challenge. I would have to practice… a lot. However, Myles gives a great answer that may surprise you. Believe it or not, he is much more athletic than I am.

Have you guys been able to practice for the Skills Challenge?

“Honestly, I am just relying on instincts. I was that dude in school who would study right before the test, and it usually worked out pretty well for me. For this, I am hoping to apply the same strategy”.

This was fun to hear from the perspective of a professional athlete, and a cool look behind the curtain moment. I too would study right before the test… why give yourself time to forget what you learned?

With the Pacers trying to make a push for the playoffs, how do you feel about the team, and how do you feel about leading this young group into the postseason?

“I feel really good about our opportunity. I think we made some really good acquisitions at the NBA trade deadline, getting Pascal (Siakam) and Doug McDermott to come back. Those were two major pieces for us going forward, and two guys who have been to the playoffs… with Pascal winning it all. Adding experience to our roster was key because of our youth and we still have a ways to go before we get there, but I think everything is clicking. Once we finally fire on all cylinders and we click at the same time it can be very dangerous”.

As someone who has watched Pacers basketball for a lifetime, I had to ask what it means to have McDermott back in Indiana. Doug played three seasons with the Pacers and was part of a playoff team under Nate McMillan.

What does it mean to you to have Doug McDermott back in Indiana?

“Doug is my guy man, I am a big fan of Doug, and I always have been. He’s a better human than anything and obviously a hell of a basketball player. He was one of my favorite players to watch in college, and one of my favorite teammates (when McMillan was coaching). He’s back (in Indiana) and he is a sniper man, he is going to help us. Indiana has a lot to be excited about with him”.

Lastly, I wanted to allow Myles to share how he got involved with Gleaners Food Bank, and how they plan to help others in need with this event on Friday.

“Starry is a brand partner of mine and the official partner of the NBA and All-Star Weekend. So what we have done is, we are partnering with Gleaners Food Bank, which is the largest relief organization in Indiana. Food insecurity and homelessness are things that hit close to my heart. We partnered together and we want anybody to come out to the Indiana Convention Center on Friday with the goal of making 100 threes in that hour period (4-5 PM). Once we hit 100 threes, we are going to be donating $33,000 to Gleaners Food Bank”.

It is a cool charity with great benefits, and fans who attend will get some cool gear as well. The first 50 who arrive (in PACERS gear). Myles cares about the community and an opportunity for fans to join him in the donation effort.

“The first 50 fans that show up, in Pacers gear, will get a signed photo of myself, and I think it will be a cool way for me to get out there and immerse myself in the community. It is all about showing love at the end of the day. I want people to come out to Indianapolis and know that All-Star Weekend here is no fluke and that we are a great host city”

You heard Myles. Show up at the Indiana Convention Center and enjoy basketball on the all-new LED NBA court. This is a great cause and something fans can have a blast doing to add to All-Star Weekend.

We are officially just days away from the All-Star festivities, and I am sure everyone will be tuning in. Indianapolis is about to get crazy.

The Indiana Pacers were busy as the NBA trade deadline came and went. A lot happened, so let’s look back on all the moves made.

The Pacers were active in the trade market long before the deadline approached. They traded Bruce Brown and Jordan Nwora for Pascal Siakam and it was a huge trade for the franchise. Today, Indiana did not stop shaking up their roster. Even after they made trades they were still busy. They moved players, waived more, and were dealing picks.

The Buddy Hield trade

Buddy Hield was moved to the Philadelphia 76’ers for Marcus Morris, Furkan Korkmaz, and three second-round picks. By the end of the day, the Pacers would be left with just the picks.

The picks are:

• -2024 2nd round pick

• -2029 Clippers 2nd round pick

• -2029 Trail Blazers 2nd round pick

Indiana would not keep all of these by the end of the day.

They traded Morris to the Spurs for Doug McDermott, who played three seasons for the Pacers. To get McDermott, the Pacers also sent the 2029 Clippers second-round pick that they just traded for from Philly. Then, they waived Korkmaz. So in summary, Buddy Hield for a net of two second-rounders. This is a fine return for a player likely leaving in the offseason. He was a free agent.

A COJO and McDermott reunion?

Then, Indiana closed another trade right at the buzzer. They moved a second-round pick to the Golden State Warriors for Cory Joseph, another familiar face. However, his tenure was not long. He was subsequently waived, and the Pacers netted cash from the Warriors in the deal.

Indiana will end the day with these additions:

• Doug McDermott

• 2024 second (TOR)

• 2029 second (PHI)

• $5.8m cash (per @TonyREast via X)

McDermott was averaging 15 minutes a game with the Spurs and scoring six points in that time. He is shooting 44% from deep in almost four attempts per game. McDermott will be a depth addition to a team that just lost Buddy Hield and he has played with Rick Carlisle Before in Dallas.

The Pacers’ big trade was for Siakam and now they have solidified their roster for the 2023-24 NBA season. With a healthy Tyrese Haliburton and young talent seeking consistency, Indiana is primed for a playoff push. Pascal Siakam is an NBA champion, and the Pacers feel that they have a roster that can compete with the best in the East.

The Indiana Pacers make the first big splash before the NBA trade deadline. In the early afternoon of Jan. 17, Pacers’ President Kevin Pritchard agreed to make a deal with the Toronto Raptors for the All-Star Forward — Pascal Siakam.

Siakam’s situation is unique. He is in the last year of his contract and will be a free agent in the summer. This somewhat forced the Raptors’ hand. They could trade Siakam and get some return or lose him this summer for nothing. Toronto chose wisely.

Pascal Siakam (29) will join the best offense in the NBA and the best point guard in Tyrese Haliburton. The best part was that Indiana did not have to give all that much to acquire Siakam. He is averaging 22.2 points per game, 6.3 rebounds, and nearly 5 assists.

The Trade

• Pacers receive: Pascal Siakam and a 2nd-round pick

• Raptors receive: Bruce Brown Jr, Jordan Nwora, Kira Lewis Jr, and 3 1st-round picks

• The first-round picks that Indiana is sending out are the 2024 First-Round Pick (they own this), the 2024 First-Round Pick (via worst of OKC/UTAH/HOU/LAC), and the 2026 First Round Pick (Top 4 Protected they own).

Indiana gave up Bruce Brown and Jordan Nwora, two 2024 late first-round picks, and a protected 2026 first for an All-Star Forward. This is a great trade because it keeps Indiana’s young core intact and gives them ammunition to make a playoff push this season.

As I mentioned earlier, Siakam is a free agent this offseason. So, this is a risk Indiana is taking. However, they are betting on Siakam having an enjoyable time in their starting lineup while being paired with Tyrese Haliburton.

Adrian Wojnarowski had this to say on Siakam’s attitude towards the future: “Pascal Siakam is excited about the deal to the Pacers and is expected to be eager to work out a new contract with the franchise this summer, sources tell ESPN. Siakam can be a free agent in July”.

He will make $37,893,408 by the end of this season and will be an unrestricted free agent after the year ends. One of the best sales pitches you can give to Siakam is to win. The Pacers have surprised everyone this season and have struggled on the defensive side of the ball. Now, they get one of the league’s best defenders to pair alongside Myles Turner — one of the league’s best rim protectors.

Siakam will look to sign a max contract extension, which Indiana will make their top priority. For now, the Pacers want to win games, and their chances just went up. The Pacers have gone 2-2 since Tyrese Haliburton was injured in early January. When their All-Star point guard makes his return, it will be must-see TV.

Indiana will hold some sort of introductory press conference for Siakam, and I am sure he will be asked what his thoughts are on signing here after the year. For now, we only have a comment from his agent to understand how they feel about the trade.

Siakam’s agent had this to say about his client and the trade:

“I’m excited that Pascal is getting a first-class opportunity with the Pacers, being paired with Tyrese and Myles, and being coached by a great coach in Rick Carlisle. His future their looks bright there,” Pascal Siakam’s agent Todd Ramasar about trade to Pacers.

Buckle up because the Pacers just got better, and they will be a blast to watch play basketball.

The Indiana Pacers were in the first half of their second straight matchup against the Boston Celtics. The Pacers entered the game with a clean injury report for the first time in over a week. Unfortunately, that will no longer be the case.

Indiana Pacers’ star Tyrese Haliburton left the game early after slipping on the floor and landing awkwardly on his left leg. It looked like the splits. You can watch the video here.

Dr. Evan Jeffries, DPT (@GameInjuryDoc on X), said “Haliburton injured his Left Hamstring on this play. MRI will determine severity and time of healing:

• Grade I: 1-2 weeks

• Grade II: 4-8 weeks

• Grade III: 12+ weeks/surgery if torn off bone”.

The Injury occurred with just over three minutes to play in the first half and Haliburton had to be carried off the court by his teammates. Buddy Hield and James Johnson helped carry him to the locker room.

Next, the team will need to determine the severity of the injury to see how much time he will miss. My guess, from a non-doctor outlook, is we should anticipate at least two weeks’ of recovery if not more. Even if the strain is grade one, Indiana would likely air on the side of caution in their franchise leader. If he can return sooner, that would be great, but I am not so sure… especially with this being a hamstring injury. Those can linger.

The Pacers will face the Wizards, Nuggets, Hawks, Jazz, and Kings in their next five games. Followed by the Nuggets again,the Blazers, the 76ers, and the Suns twice. Those 10 games take you to the end of Jan. That would be nearly three weeks of recovery.

As of now, there is no indication as to how severe the strain is, but I will be seeking updates as they come, and will add to the story.

The Indiana Pacers won the In-Season Tournament Quarterfinal where they took on the Boston Celtics. After a 122-112 victory over the Celtics, Indiana will again advance. They are 5-0 in the In-Season Tournament.

Tyrese Haliburton is a superstar and has elevated this team to an impressive level. The Pacers responded against a Boston team that beat them by 50 points in their last matchup. If that 50-point loss was the first chapter in the book, I am sure glad I kept reading.

Haliburton finished the game with 26 points, 13 assists, and 10 rebounds. It was his first career triple-double.

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle shared his thoughts on the environment that Indiana brought tonight: “The crowd and the energy had something to do with that. Our crowd was amazing… I am happy for our fans”.

Here’s how the Pacers were able to beat the Celtics on the biggest stage

Getting stops and capitalizing on them was where the energy was in the first quarter. Myles Turner was able to score in the paint and behind the arc. Obi Toppin, who has been steadily improving, impacted the glass to start the game.

Indiana does a solid job of keeping pace with Boston and not giving any momentum. If anything, they missed opportunities to add more themselves. Indiana missed a few good looks from deep after halting the Boston scoring attack. Nevertheless, the Celtics punched back.

The Pacers substituted Tyrese Haliburton with TJ McConnell instead of Andrew Nembhard. Bennedict Mathurin had a few defensive lapses. However, Bruce Brown was a defensive strength.

The Pacers did not face a big deficit as the first quarter closed. The score was 22-24 Boston. Myles Turner had a team-high 8 points.

The second quarter was back and forth, but it wasn’t a shootout. Andrew Nembhard checked into the game with around five minutes to play in the half. On his first possession, he was fouled and went right to the line. He made one of two.

The Second Half

Tyrese Haliburton got the crowd going with a big three-point shot. He had nearly a double-double in the first half, in points and rebounds (that is new). He finished the half with seven points and six rebounds.

Haliburton flipped a switch to start the second half. He hit shots and cut Boston’s defense with his court vision. The Pacers gain momentum and cut the Celtic’s lead to just one point. The game remains close in the third quarter.

All I can say is if you weren’t in the building for this contest, you probably can hear better than I. Pacers’ fans were LOUD inside of the Fieldhouse Monday night. I posted a few videos of what that sounded like on my X timeline.

TJ McConnell got a steal, then Buddy hit a three, and Boston would miss. It was the perfect storm. Indiana had the lead, but the fourth quarter was next. The Pacers had the lead. Could they keep it?

The feeling was any team could make a run, but the result for much of the quarter was holding the line. Indiana would keep the lead for nearly half the period and minimize mistakes. With under seven minutes to go, the Pacer’s lead was just three. Then, we were tied due to defensive miscommunication.

The game was tight, and no team could break away. We were under two minutes to play and the game tied at 105. Then Tyrese Haliburton arrived. The Pacers’ star showed up at the perfect time, completed a four-point play, and led the Pacers to victory against the Celtics.

The final score was 122-112. The Pacers will now play in Vegas in the next round of the In-Season Tournament.

The Indiana Pacers have been owned by the Simon family since 1983. That was nearly 40 years ago. Now, Simon is looking ahead to the future, and allowing new ownership into the Pacers’ franchise. Steven Rales will acquire a total of 20% of the franchise for reportedly $3.47B.

Steven Rales is 72 years old, which makes him 17 years younger than the Pacers’ current majority owner, Herb Simon (89). Steven Rales also attended college at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana.

Rales certainly has the capital to invest in a franchise, as his net worth was estimated by Forbes in July 2023 to be over $7.3 billion.

Rales also founded a production company in 2006, which works closely with Wes Anderson, a popular director. A few of my favorite movies he has produced include Fantastic Mr. Fox and Isle of the Dogs. More recently, it was Asteroid City that he helped produce, which was released this year. I have yet to see that.

Herb Simon released a statement today regarding the decision:

“My good friend, Steven Rales, who has strong Hoosier ties and is a graduate of DePauw University and co-founder of Danaher Corporation, which is the owner of Indiana-based life sciences company Beckman Coulter, expressed an interest in acquiring a minority investment in the franchise. After considerable discussion, Steven is going to become a minority owner of 20% of the franchise pending league approval. Management of the franchise remains under Simon family control. The Simon family is as committed to Indiana today as we have been since we moved here from New York in the 1960s”.

This move should be helpful to Indiana and the Pacers, as Simon is not getting younger, and the Pacers will eventually need to have a change at the top of the table. Of note from Simon’s statement, the family will still be in control of the team at this time.

The Simon family adding someone who grew up in Indiana and studied here is important. Certainly, Rales knows how much this team means to the state and now he is a part of a bright future for Pacers basketball.

The Indiana Pacers entered the contest with a record of 3-2 after beating the Cleveland Cavaliers in their first In-Season Tournament game. However, they fell back to .500 with a nail-biting loss to the Charlotte Hornets.

They are 3-3.

There were some bright spots for Indiana tonight, the main one being they could not miss from three. The problem was that conversely, they couldn’t get stops when they needed them. Not to mention tough calls by the officials in this game.

Brandon Miller tackled Aaron Nesmith but was ruled a common foul. Buddy Hield then had a chance to tie the game when down by one point and missed the shot. Small plays added up.

In the final seconds of play, Haliburton takes the ball up the court, and the Pacers have a chance for the last shot. Unfortunately, Indiana was never able to get a shot up, as the Hornets’ defense stood strong. Haliburton miss dribbled, and as time wound down, the ball was knocked far away from the nearest player.

While it is easy to complain that Tyrse Haliburton was unable to get a shot up to end the game, Indiana should not have been in that situation to begin with.

After the game, I asked Tyrese Haliburton if his objective was to get a three-off at the end of the game. His answer: the objective was to score.

My question was hoping to allude to his thought process within the final seconds of the game. It was simply put by him, and was a tough ending to an All-Star performance.

Later, I asked Rick Carlisle about Jalen Smith’s performance behind Myles Turner thus far:

“Jalen Smith has had a terrific year. He’s been active, he’s shooting the ball well, and making good reads. He is a big part of our second unit. He has earned the job pretty clearly. Overall he has done a lot of terrific things. I am really happy for him, he is a wonderful young man from a great family, and we root for all of our guys, but guys like him you definitely root for”.

Smith ended the game with 11 points and 9 rebounds. He has been fantastic in the backup role this season.

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Pacers vs Hornets Game Recap by Quarter

Indiana started fast with a quick 10 points, but the Hornets were able to answer and responded with a run of their own. Myles Turner was solid again defensively, leading to transition points early for Indiana. Obi Toppin was the prime benefactor, scoring six points in the opening minutes. Turner has shot the ball well in the last few games and was able to continue that streak with an early three.

Toppin was able to catch a lob, which brought the energy from the crowd. Bennedict Mathurin was creating his shot, which has been an area of growth for him this season.

After one, the game was tied at 27 points a piece. The Pacer’s second unit was not able to provide a boost of offense, but they were able to keep the game manageable.

Q2 — Second Unit Holds Steady

TJ McConnell got some minutes in the period to let Haliburton rest. He was less efficient than usual, but consistency is tough without constant time on the court.

Jalen Smith continues to be solid in his backup minutes to Myles Turner. He had 5 points and five rebounds in the second quarter. His shooting helped space the floor, and he was active on the glass as well.

Tyrese Haliburton checked back into the game with around 7 minutes left. He scored his first game points with six minutes in the half. There has been a pattern of him starting slower over the past few games. However, he is still averaging nearly 20 points and 10-plus assists this season, so I think he’s been good.

Overall, the second quarter was one to forget—the Hornets led by as much as 13 points. Thankfully, Indiana was able to cut the deficit to eight points. There was work to be done…

Q3 — The Haliburton Quarter

Haliburton started the 3rd with a six threes. He was on fire and made multiple tough shots. The momentum shifted in Indiana’s favor as a result. When you have an All-Star on your roster, you need him to make big shots.

Fortunately, that is what Tyrese did. He ended the third with 25 points and six assists in that period alone. Haliburton was 8/11 from the field and was the momentum this team needed.

The three-point barrage continued with help from Turner, Buddy Hield, and Bruce Brown. Indiana traded the lead for most of the quarter but was able to pull away with a small lead to end it. In summary, Haliburton did what All-Stars do and hit big shots. He had nearly a 40-point double-double as the third quarter ended. Most impressive.

Q4 — So Close

The second unit, led by Buddy Hield, kept the Pacers in the game. Hield hit multiple threes, but there was one problem. Indiana could not get a stop. Each time they scored, it seemed the Hornets had an answer.

Buddy Hield was able to spark the momentum for Indiana after a brutal stretch. Hield hit a three to cut the Hornets lead to two points — four minutes left in the game.

Down to the wire, Indiana trailed by three with 30 seconds left. Buddy drove the lane and got fouled with a chance to tie the game. He missed the free throw, but Indiana got the ball back. However, the Pacers managed to turn it over. They needed one stop.

They were able to get it. The building was filled with energy. Haliburton brought the ball up the court and was stopped by Lamelo Ball. Indiana never got a shot up.

The Pacers lost 125-124.

Looking ahead to Indiana’s next matchup

The Pacers will take on the San Antonio Spurs on Monday. Rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama will visit Indiana for the first time in his career. This will be a tough matchup for the Pacers as the entire league learns how to deal with his raw talent. He scored 38 points (and 10 rebounds) the other night… against the Phoenix Suns.

The Pacers will look to get their fourth win of the season if all goes well. Top off starts at 7:00 PM EST.

The Indiana Pacers remain undefeated this season after beating the Cleveland Cavaliers. The final score was 125-113.

This game was up and down. The starters did not play their best, but there remains a common theme through the two games. The team starts slow. Maybe that was exaggerated tonight with Tyrese Haliburton battling an illness, but it is true nonetheless.

Aaron Nesmith had a career night and was the best Pacer in this game from start to finish. Tyrese closed the game for Indiana, but Nesmith kept the team in the game to begin with. Hopefully, Indiana can allow Nesmith to play an expanded role this season. He scored a career-high 26 points and nine rebounds on 10/16 shooting from the field. Nine of those were three-point attempts, and he made 5 of those in this game — all of which were needed.

He has also been one of the team’s better defenders and was in the game to close it out. The lineup included Turner, Haliburton, Nembhard, and Nesmith — which is whom Rick Carlisle feels are the team’s better defenders. Haliburton will close games no matter what.

Nesmith brings intensity to the team’s second unit and allows Carlisle flexibility in late-game situations. To me, he has Most Improved Player potential for the team this season. An impressive string of games.

Pacers vs Cavs Game Recap

The Indiana Pacers start slow in Cleveland, as the starting unit could not get any offense, outside of Bennedict Mathurin and Myles Turner. Rick Carlisle was forced to turn to the bench unit early to spark some offensive momentum.

Fortunately, this worked, thanks to some good early minutes from Aaron Nesmith and Jalen Smith. Smith continues to be impressive in the backup center position. He provided 13 points and 6 rebounds tonight and has earned the job behind Myles Turner. Personally, it is good that Indiana has their center rotation set, and there is no controversy about what level of performance they will get from that spot. Smith has been consistent thus far.

Tyrese Haliburton stayed on the floor with this unit. However, Haliburton was questionable in this game with an illness, and his on-court play was less aggressive to start the game.

Q2

Indiana took control for much of the second quarter and was led in scoring by Aaron Nesmith. Nesmith scored 10 points in the first quarter to help cut the Cavaliers lead to just six points. He then had 15 points in just 11 minutes of play — an impressive first stretch of the game.

Indiana’s biggest problem to deal with in the first half was Caris LeVert. He could not miss. After the first half, he had 25 points and was the fuel to the Cavaliers’ offense. They were without a few key players. Darius Garland, Jarett Allen, and Donovan Mitchell are among those out.

Myles Turner struggled offensively but was pretty good at staying active on the glass. He had 9 points and 7 rebounds at halftime. He is not a stranger to making his presence felt in the paint. He finished with a double-double, scoring 20 points and 12 rebounds. Turner wants to be an All-Star, and although he started slow, the numbers don’t lie.

The Pacers would take a lead into halftime, going up 60-49.

Q3

Cleveland made an effort to climb back into the game in the 3rd quarter, and at this point, Haliburton was struggling to find an offensive rhythm. Haliburton had 10 points on 3/11 shooting from the field.

TJ McConnell got some run to close the quarter to help the Pacers again some energy that they had lost. McConnell added 6 points and 6 assists to the stat sheet. McConnell finished the game with 8 points and 8 assists in 18 minutes. He has been consistently efficient in his minutes.

The Cavs won the third quarter and cut the Pacers lead to 91-87. Caris LeVert and Evan Mobley had a combined 52 points up to now. Cleveland had the momentum.

Q4

For the momentum the Cavs were able to build, Indiana took the punches and handled them well to start the quarter. Aaron Nesmith and Buddy Hield hit a few threes to give the Pacers some breathing room early. They have been great for Indiana, and the second unit should get much praise for keeping them in the game.

However, it remained a single-digit lead for the Pacers.

Heroics from Haliburton helped extend the lead for Indiana. He made three straight three-point shots. Here are the highlights of his three consecutive makes in the 4th quarter. This after a quiet night offensively — of course, he came alive in the 4th. It wasn’t just his shooting. He also helped find other teammates for open shots.

Indiana ran away with the lead in the final minutes and never looked back. The Pacers beat the Cavaliers 125-113. An All-Star finish from the face of the (undefeated) Indiana Pacers.

Looking ahead to Indiana’s next matchup

Next, Indiana will face the Chicago Bulls in Indiana on Monday night. The game will tip off at 7:00 PM EST. Chicago is 1-2 on the season and is coming off a loss to the Detroit Pistons tonight.

Chicago’s only win was by a margin of one point came in overtime against the Toronto Raptors.

The Indiana Pacers’ season is near. Basketball is back, after a long offseason, NBA draft, summer league, and free agency. For Indiana, this season has a new sense of direction. Tyrese Haliburton is an All-Star, and their young core has embraced a winning mindset. The only problem is they have to figure out how to win.

The first step in that process is pre-season. The Pacers took on the Memphis Grizzlies Sunday night to open their season. Indiana played almost every player they had and lost their first game.

First look at the Pacers’ starting five

Indiana’s first starting five of the season included T.J. McConnell, Bruce Brown, Bennedict Mathurin, Obi Toppin, and Myles Turner. Tyrese Haliburton was not playing for rest reasons.

One can assume this will be the team’s starting five when the regular season commences, but Haliburton replaces McConnell.

In this lineup, Obi Toppin looked comfortable in the scoring role. He scored the team’s first points and knocked in a corner three in the first quarter. Toppin had seven points in the first half.

Bruce Brown looked quick on the court and assumed the backup point guard role with Andrew Nembhard out of play. Brown was aggressive at the rim and challenged the defense with his floater. He was 2/8 with five points and two steals.

Bennedict Mathurin was eye-popping on the TV copy (NBA League Pass). He played around 20 minutes in the first half and led the team with shot attempts and points. That was 7/13 with 18 points.

McConnell’s mid-range game was in full effect. He was running all over the floor and was finding teammates with ease. He was 5/7 with 11 points and eight assists.

The starters would not see any action after the second quarter, but they held their own.

Pacers’ rookies take over the second half

Jarace Walker and Ben Sheppard were fun to watch on both ends of the court. Neither one saw minutes in the first half but ended up playing 25 minutes. Overtime basketball helped there.

Ben Sheppard connected on his first two shots from behind the arc. He was a welcome sight to a team wanting to push the pace and space the floor this season. If he shows consistency in the jump shot, there may even be a path for him to crack the rotation in a Carlisle offense. However, that won’t come without defensive promise first. Ask Andrew Nembhard.

He was a gunslinger and took 16 shots. Ten were from deep. Although he only made six shots, he did not look lost and certainly had confidence in the shot selection. Shooters shoot.

He finished with 15 points, three assists, and three rebounds.

Jarace Walker impressed with his shooting ability after a slow start in that department. He was 7/15 from the field and made four threes. You could see him settle into the game, and once he found a rhythm he didn’t look back.

Jarace Walker Pacers vs Grizzlies Highlights

Walker led the Pacers in scoring with 19 points and nearly had a double-double on the stat sheet with nine rebounds. It will be interesting to see what his role becomes throughout this pre-season. Will Rick keep him with the young guys? Probably, but the battle will be intriguing with him, Jordan Nwora, and Aaron Nesmith.

The Pacers fell short in their first game, losing 127-122 against Memphis. The game went to overtime, but the extra minutes didn’t help. Still, more reps for a young team looking to get into playing shape is not something to complain about.

We will see the Pacers next take on the Rockets on October 10th at 8:00 PM EST.

The Indiana Pacers have not been shy to pick up the phones this NBA offseason. Indiana has been busy, from making several trades leading up to and during the draft to making moves in the free-agent market.

They have signed Tyrese Haliburton to a max contract extension and added Bruce Brown from Denver in free agency. While adding Ben Sheppard, Isaiah Wong, and Jarace Walker via the draft, their roster was filling out quickly.

The Pacers needed depth in other places as their guard-heavy roster continued to pile up after the moves listed above were made. It was clear something else needed to happen.

Chris Duarte is Traded

The Indiana Pacers are sending Chris Duarte to the Sacramento Kings for two 2nd round picks, Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Thursday. He says the Pacers will receive a 2028 second (via Dallas) and the Kings' 2030 second-round pick.

Chris Duarte was the Pacers’ 13th overall pick from the 2021 NBA draft. At 25 years old, Duarte has struggled to stay on the floor due to health and never really found a role in the young Pacers’ offense. After an impressive rookie season, Duarte struggled to connect on the three-point shot that made him so polarizing during his rookie season.

Shams Charania initially reported this as a deal that was, “nearing” completion many days ago, but no official trade was made until today. This left many fans to speculate if the deal was a part of something bigger Indiana was cooking up. These moves turned out to be a pretty clever bit of asset shuffling by Indiana’s front office.

Duarte’s tenure in Indiana was a fun one that was unfortunately cut short by his lack of health. He played 101 games in two seasons and saw his minutes decrease substantially in year two.

He went from a 13.1 points per game scorer on 36% 3P shooting in 2021-22 to 7.1 points per game scorer on 31% from three in 2022-23. His field goal percentage also dipped from 43% to 36% in the same time frame. The lack of consistent minutes did not help him on the court, but a fresh start was a must for both parties.

This move will be a win-win for both Duarte and Indiana and I am sure both are excited about what next season will bring with their new-look rosters.

Obi Toppin is on his way to Indiana

Just a few days prior, the team made a move to acquire New York’s Obi Toppin for two second-round picks. Then today, Indiana got two seconds back by shipping Duarte out to Sacramento.

• Out: two second-round picks to New York, Chris Duarte

• In: two second-round picks from SAC and DAL, Obi Toppin

Nifty moves by the front office to address a team need in filling out the four spot while clearing the way to add a strong defensive guard in Bruce Brown, who they just signed.

Obi Toppin was the 8th overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft. Like Duarte, he gets a much-needed fresh start and the opportunity to join a hungry roster of young players trying to prove themselves.

This a dream get for me, being from the Dayton area, his high-flying play style has captivated and drawn an audience to Dayton basketball that had been missing for some time. To see him back on the team I root for the most is delightful — my tweets may be biased.

Toppin is also on the receiving end of less playing time throughout his NBA tenure. Last season he averaged just 15 minutes per game, where he would score 7.1 points per those minutes.

However, as many Pacers fans remember, Obi Toppin was unleashed in the final games of the 2022-23 NBA season in which he started the last five games.

In those games, he averaged: 21 PPG, 3.4 REB, 3.4 AST, and shot 44.4% from three on 7.2 attempts. He also converted his field goals at a 58% clip in those games.

The shooting from deep to me is unsustainable, but I could see him being a 36% shooter from deep on four attempts a game in this style of offense. He is one of the best finishers at the rim I have watched, and with the ability this team has to run the floor, I see that being where he adds the most value consistently.

Tyrese Haliburton will help create looks for just about anyone anywhere, which will help the entire roster. The Pacers get a four, and Toppin gets the opportunity he’s been craving in a fantastic situation.

The Indiana Pacers had five picks as the 2023 NBA draft approached. With more picks than roster spots available, a trade was a must for Indiana. They came into the draft with the following picks: 7, 26, 29, 32, and 55.

However, keeping all those picks was never feasible, and the front office kept on its promise to be active around the draft.

Trade with Denver

Then, the Denver Nuggets came calling and grabbed picks 29 and 32 from the Pacers in exchange for pick 40 and a 2024 first-round pick. This was good asset management from the Pacers front office, as they couldn’t bring in as many players as they had picks for.

The 2024 pick Indiana is receiving is the same pick that Denver had traded for from OKC. As Tony East reports, “It is the 2024 first that is worst of Houston (1-4 protected) Utah (1-10 protected) LA Clippers (unprotected) Oklahoma City (unprotected) Pick 40 to IND, 29 + 32 to DEN”.

Trade with Lakers

The Pacers weren’t done. Los Angeles found the Pacers’ number and traded their 47th pick for the 40th pick that Indiana had just acquired from Denver. Indiana had to consolidate picks, and this is a great way to do that. The Lakers also sent $4.35M to the Pacers in cash considerations to move up in the draft.

The 2023 NBA Draft Begins

Indiana was on the clock until they weren’t. Indiana held on to the 7th pick until the last moment before moving back one spot to trade with Washington for the 8th pick and additional compensation. They will get two second-round picks in 2028 by moving back. Indiana had initially drafted Bilal Coulibaly, Victor Wembenyama’s running mate, but quickly announced that a trade would be made.

This would allow Indiana to acquire the draft rights to Jarace Walker. He is now a Pacer.

What Indiana lands from Washington:

• Jarace Walker

• Two 2028 second-round picks

You have to think this is who the Indiana Pacers were targeting, but this allows them to add more assets while getting Walker regardless. A great move by the front office.

Standing 6’8’’ tall, Walker fills a hole on this roster, the four spot. He weighs 240 lbs and is currently 19 years old. Walker averaged 11.2 points per game, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in his freshman season at Houston.

Walker also shot 34.7% from three on 2.8 attempts per game, while his overall field goal percentage was at 46.5% on 9.4 attempts.

The fit alongside Myles Turner is a rather exciting one as well. For those who don’t know, Indiana just got one hell of a defender. Indiana was in need of defensive help, as they ranked 27th of 30 in defensive rating for the 2022-23 NBA season.

Indiana currently has the 26th pick, 47th pick, and 55th pick remaining.

The 26th pick: Ben Sheppard

With the 26th pick, the Indiana Pacers select Ben Sheppard from the Belmont Bruins.

Sheppard is a 6'6'', 190lbs guard -- he averaged 18.8 PPG last year and shot 41.5% from three on 6.0 attempts per. Sheppard spent four seasons at Belmont and is 21 years old.

His three-point shot developed and this season he was able to showcase a 4% bump in three-point percentage from last season to 2022-23. In 2021-22 he was shooting a solid 37% from behind the arc. He improved that to 41% on nearly the same attempts per game.

In 32 games in 2022-23, he was held to under 10 points just three times. At his best, he posted 35 points against Murray State — converting on 6/10 three-point attempts.

The Pacers are taking a shot at a guard who can bring depth alongside Chris Duarte and company, and adding shooting to Rick Carlisle’s roster. I think he will be able to compete for a rotation spot. If he can hover around 37 or higher shooting from deep, Sheppard will have an easy transition to the NBA level in this Pacers system.

*This story will be updated as the NBA draft night continues

One player who has quietly moved up draft boards all season and is a solidified top-ten pick in this draft is Cam Whitmore. As it stands currently, the Indiana Pacers have the best chance at the 7th pick in this draft. This is right around where I believe Whitmore could land if the draft was today.

The Indiana Pacers will have lots of draft capital for the 2023 NBA Draft. They are in one of the best positions with three first-round picks and two seconds, which they may or may not keep. This gives them great flexibility and significant ammunition in trade possibilities.

Trades are something I think Indiana is going to attempt with some of their picks this season. Pacers’ President Kevin Pritchard has been open about this sentiment in multiple press conferences. He does not want to add five new “kids” to this roster. I think they will try for a veteran wing-type player like OG Anunoby or Obi Toppin and attempt a playoff push next season.

I see the top seven in this draft being Victor Wembanyama, Scoot Henderson, Brandon Miller, Jarace Walker, the Thompson Twins, and Cam Whitmore. If Indiana is picking around seventh, then Whitmore is a prospect you need to get to know.

Cam Whitmore and the Indiana Pacers

The Indiana Pacers need wings and they will go after one in some capacity this offseason — draft, free agency, or both. Even if they make a trade for one, they need depth at the position. They have Nwora who really sprung forward to the end last season, but he is their only true wing with the size. Not to mention his shooting.

So why Cam Whitmore?

Cam Whitmore is a 6’7’’ Wing from Villanova who weighs 232 pounds and is just 18 (!) years old. To me, age is why he is one of the most intriguing prospects. He is young, but that is a story his tape does not often tell.

Whitmore is an athletic powerhouse who can score, shot-create, and has promising defensive traits. He can shoot the ball well and his shot release improved over the course of his Villanova season.

Freshman season stats: 12.5 points | 5.3 rebounds | 1.4 steals | 34.4 3P% (4+ att) | 47.8 FG% | 72% FT

Bringing Whitmore off the bench in year one would not be a bad thing with his age, but he has starting upside. If Indiana is to get a trade for a proven wing this offseason — you feel even better about adding real depth in the wing spot. Then you go from Nesmith, Nwora, and Brissett to veteran wing X, Nwora, and Whitmore. To me, it is an upgrade.

Whitmore’s strengths and areas for improvement

His strengths include rebounding, set shooting, driving/cutting, and his overall athleticism is a plus. He excels at cutting to the rim, and he pairs it with a strong ability to finish shots at the rim. Similar to Mathurin in this regard.

Along with his driving, his perimeter shooting and creation one-on-one stand out on film. He can create separation and looks comfortable operating at the top of the key. Again he is going to be turning 19 years old in Summer League.

Watch these Highlights and let me know if you would want to see him share the court with Tyrese Haliburton:

With highlights for any player, there are also some lowlights.

Where he can improve is similar to where Bennedict Mathurin was in college. Whitmore can have tunnel vision at times, and when he makes up his mind to score, he goes for it. This is also true with passing plays. Sometimes in the post, he would reach for a pass that was maybe open a few seconds prior, but not when the ball is thrown.

His defense has flashes of being able to switch hips and move with whomever he’s guarding. With his frame, I don’t think it will be difficult to improve the defensive movement. To me, some of his lapses go back to age and most of the time he is able to make a shot challenging.

At the NBA level, defense is just as important as offense, and that’s even more true in a Rick Carlisle system. Ask Andrew Nembhard, who started a majority of games because he can defend well.

In ball-handling situations, you want to trust that he can see the situation ahead of him, and find the right read. Whitmore has a good frame and a defensive upside with active hands on the ball.

His off-ball presence is scary good and is something teams will have to be fully aware of on both ends of the floor. He can make you pay both at the rim and behind the arc with a high ceiling. If the Indiana Pacers are on the clock and Whitmore is an option, I have a hard time passing on this talented prospect.

Bennedict Mathurin sprained his ankle and missed four games after being a reliant piece all season. He left as a rotational player and returned as a starter.

He has replaced Buddy Hield in the starting lineup for the last four games as Rick Carlisle is trying to get him used to this level of play. Not that he hasn’t had his chances throughout the season, but he has not been a consistent starter like his fellow rookie Andrew Nembhard. Not because Mathurin is not good, but rather how Carlisle likes his lineups to be — plus Andrew Nembhard can defend well for a rookie.

So now it is Mathurin’s time to shine, which I presume will be the case for the remainder of the regular season. Shine he did in his first game back, scoring 18 points and a handful of assists in 30 minutes of play. However, the offensive production has been on a downward trajectory.

He scored 15 points against Toronto, followed by 2 points against the Celtics and 4 points against the Hawks. Knowing Mathurin’s history, these low-scoring games won’t last for long.

Mathurin has started in 10 games this season and averages 12.6 points per game in that role. This would be different if given the opportunity of consistency in that role, but not bad for the rookie.

Although he has not scored at a high clip over the past few games, the point is growth, and there are noticeable moments of that in these last few games. Defensively there are examples from last night’s game in Atlanta. One of those was a great one-on-one defensive possession, and the other was a great read for a steal.

In this first clip, Mathurin closes out, shifts his feet to stay balanced, and then uses that footing to help propel him into the shot contest.

Here is an excellent defensive possession from Mathurin.

This resulted in a Murray miss, but it should be noted that good defense is not determined by player X missing the shot over player Y. In this case, Mathurin does his job, and the Hawks come up empty for the possession.

One of the intriguing plays from the Pacers VS Hawks was this Mathurin steal. He reads Aaron Holiday driving in the lane and times the reach well to get the Pacers a shot in transition.

Here is the clip of Mathurin turning defense into offense.

Although Buddy Hield misses the pull-up three-point shot, Mathruin is there to track down the miss and get a layup of his own. Great anticipation on both ends leads to Pacers’ points.

Mathurin’s low-scoring games do not bother me, and you know he is unphased. With consistency added to this role, he will finish the year strong, and it is not like the Pacers are nearing a playoff run anyway. Let the rook have minutes against good starters and more time with Tyrese Haliburton on the floor. Building chemistry with Haliburton, Mathurin, and Myles Turner seems like a good thing to do for the future of the franchise.

Chris Duarte has nearly completed his second NBA season with the Indiana Pacers. The former 13th overall pick has struggled to find a role on this team, but his recent play may shed light on what he could be.

The unfortunate reality for Chris Duarte is that in each of his two seasons, he has missed a lot of time to injury. Last season he played in 55 and was at 42 total this year.

Starting Somewhere

He has moved around the rotation all year, from starting, to the bench, to not being played. He has also played fewer minutes in a handful of games this season. In each of those games (13) where he has played under 15 minutes, his production has not been great. He averages around 2 points a game when he plays less than 15 minutes this season. No time to get hot.

Inconsistency in playing time has been a factor for some of his struggles, but he has looked like a different player in his last few games.

More specifically, his three-point shot has been connecting, and he is letting it fly confidently. In his last three games, he’s shot four a game and is shooting 58% from deep on those attempts. For comparison, his average for the entire season is 31% from the spot.

Another thing he’s brought in recent games is a defensive intensity that is noticeable. For coach Rick Carlisle, I think it is easier to put Duarte on the floor even through the shooting struggles if he has confidence that he can defend. This may be what the coaches have been trying to develop Duarte into being capable of. Either way, if Duarte can be a good shooter AND a good defender, you have a player that can excel in this league.

His best role may be to come off the bench, as the Pacers have many guards on their roster and project to have many for some time. That starting lineup is clustered at the moment, but I think Duarte can shine in a 2nd unit where he’s surrounded by solid ball handling and other plus defenders to help take that pressure away from him.

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Final Thoughts

He has not had the best statistical year but has displayed real growth on the defensive end of the court. Something to work on, but I think that mold fits his game well and would be a real help to the Pacers roster. Knowing your skill set can be valuable to the team, and I think this is what the season has been about for Duarte — finding his role.

In summary, Duarte can be a plus-three and D-type player. Labeling him into a set thing is not something I’m fond of, but as I mentioned earlier you have to start somewhere. To me, the best role for him right now would be that.

Look at Myles Turner before this season. Do you think he was focused on offense when Domantas Sabonis was his starting partner? No, he was the “rim protector”, and he excelled at it. He knew where he could help best. Because of that development, he has defensive skills and added offensive adroitness. This has led to his best season of production yet.

My point: Duarte being a three-and-D type of player now, can be the foundation for him to expand his game into other skill sets. I already think he is good at getting to the rim, but creating that by himself is where growth could still take place. When he gets the ball now, he is looking at ways to shoot the three ie; step back.

Hopefully, that trend of steady defense continues for the remaining 16 games of the 2022-23 NBA season. Chris Duarte is a good player and still has a lot of upside on this young Pacers core. What do you think of Chris Duarte this season?

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The Indiana Pacers acquired Jalen Smith last season in exchange for Torrey Craig. Since then, the Pacers have signed him to a new deal and promised him a starting role.

One problem, the Pacers also signed Myles Turner to a new deal, and they have a ton of centers on their roster. They had so many; Indiana just cut one before the trade deadline. That would be Goga Bitadze, their former first-round pick.

Indiana tried starting Smith at the four, but it was not a great fit schematically alongside Turner, so they tried him on the bench. Then they balanced Isaiah Jackson and Daniel Theis rotating between games — doesn’t this sound like a mess?

Smith found himself removed from the rotation entirely for a stretch of the season until just recently. He has played in the last two games and has done one thing well in each game: rebound. It is hard to find on-court consistency when the opportunity is not there, but Smith has an interesting trend between his higher-scoring nights and his higher-rebounding outings.

Rebounding and Points

This led me down a path unforeseen. Was there any correlation between Smith’s rebounding production to his field goal percentages, scoring, etc?

Stay with me here as I do my best to break this weird thought down.

Smith has played in 53 games for the Pacers this season and scored ten or more points in 22 of those games. In those 22 games where he scored ten or more — he has also scored five or more rebounds in 20 of those 22.

This means 90.9% of the time he grabs at least five rebounds he also contributes ten or more points of offense. He also has an average +/- of nearly 1 in those spans of games, which is fine.

To take this stat line further, in the 22 games where he scores ten or more points, Smith averages 54.6% from the field. This would be the third-highest on the team of the players who play regular rotation minutes this season. He is behind Isaiah Jackson (57.3%) and Myles Turner (54.9%).

Jalen Smith is top three in field goal percentage when he grabs five or more rebounds. Additionally, his scoring output of ten or more points occurs 90% of the time when he does rebound at around that clip. That seems… good.

Growth for Smith

Most NBA players have a skill set they can lean on in any situation no matter how they are used. Think Buddy Hield’s shooting, Terry Taylor’s rebounding, or Myles Turner’s shot-blocking. Jalen Smith has that similar feel when it comes to rebounding. He is good at using his size and positioning himself for the ball. He can be out of rhythm, but there are also times when Smith leaves no question as to who the rebound belongs.

Here's a recent example of how Smith turns his rebounding into points.

His post-scoring is still in progress, but he makes smart plays at the rim. His potential and ability to get second-chance points would benefit this roster in extended minutes. Watch as he creeps into the lane to help, and then rips the ball down for control.

I look forward to seeing him and Isaiah Jackson develop into becoming that steady presence on the glass and try to become similar to what Turner brings offensively.

The young guys will have to develop their shooting to be anywhere close to on par with what Turner is providing. Jackson is sitting at 16% from three, and Smith is around 29% respectively.

It is a good problem to have — two different young players with varying skill sets that are unique to them and fun to watch. I think Smith has a lot of value to provide and that he should be getting more minutes in the last stretch run of the season. Not to say Daniel Theis gave bad minutes, but when you are thinking future of Pacers basketball, you do not think of Theis.

Smith has averaged 10 minutes a game in his last 11 appearances. However, in his last two games, he has received 15 or more minutes and has played at a consistent level.

• Pacers VS Magic: 7 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 blocked shots with a +/- of 12.

• Pacers VS Mavericks: 11 points, 9 rebounds, 1 block, and was a +10 on the floor.

I thought there was a neat consistency in his stat grouping, so I wanted to share my thoughts on Smith in this light. He does not have a set role on this roster yet, but Smith has the tools to suit the team's needs.

With more time on the court and a steady lineup around him of creators, Smith can thrive in a backup center role. His ability to shoot is intriguing, and he has proven that he can get shots to fall. Rebounding helps him stay engaged on the floor, and when he does that, the points tend to follow.